There were two college football games on Saturday that put each of its winners into the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena on Jan. 7.

However, only one of those winners looked like it needed to be there: Alabama.

The Crimson Tide pummeled Florida 32-13 in the SEC title game. Auburn made the Tide’s Mark Ingram quit the week before, but there was no quit in the sophomore running back on Saturday night as he shredded the Gators’ vaunted defense for three touchdowns. That’s why he’s a Heisman Trophy finalist.

But Tide fans should be even more impressed with the play of junior quarterback Greg McElroy. The next coming of Jay Barker was on target all night and his 17-yard touchdown pass to Colin Peek was perfection personified. The defense was, as usual, relentless, pressuring Tim Tebow all night and limiting the Gators’ offense to just 13 points. And allow me to say that while I certainly didn’t love the hype generated by “All-Things Tim Tebow,” I did feel for him on Saturday as he squatted on the sidelines in tears in the fourth quarter. This was not the way he wanted to go out and even though he was hurting after the game, he offered Alabama all the praise in the world. He’s a respectful young man and represents himself as a positive role model. That’s a rarity in today’s age and we should all applaud the Tim Tebows of the world.

So while the Tide was taking care of business in Atlanta, the Texas Longhorns was having a hard time with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big 12 Championship game. Quarterback Colt McCoy’s floater into the sidelines with one second remaining on the clock was eerily reminiscent of LSU coach Les Miles’ decision to throw a touchdown pass against Auburn in 2007 with time running out when all the Bengal Tigers needed was field goal. Luckily for McCoy and Texas coach Mack Brown the Big 12 replay officials decided to put that one second back on the clock. The Longhorns kicked the field goal, won 13-12, and punched their ticket to Pasadena.

The question is how will Texas play against a Bama team that looks it could make the game a laugher in the first quarter? Texas’ offense was inept against Nebraska: how’s it going to look against the ferocious band of brothers that Nick Saban has put together? It could be a long night for McCoy.

But that’s why they play the game on the field and not on paper.

In a game that relies on an oblong ball that just doesn’t want to act right sometimes, anything can happen.